substances. Their notes resemble those QiÄe Red-winged Troopial,
but are more musical. > The range of the Yellow-headed Troopial
is very extensive, as it is found from Cayenne to the river Missouri;
although it passes far north in the western region, yet it'does, not
visit the settled parts of tiSêilJnited States.
The fine specimens represented ih' our: plate were killed near the
Pawnee ’vSllägesy'ön the river Platte, where they were seen in great
numbers about the »MiddfesOf May. The males and females were
sometimes observed, in separate flocks.
We adopt the genus Icterus,' nearly^as it was established by Bris-
son, 'and ?abcC]Ited^ by Daudin and Temminck. Authors have variously
estimated1 this.genlis both in regard to its- dtmôminatiôh- and
limits. Oné of: Wilson’s most important nomcmdaturaldviiroissf
consisted.in-placing one of the species under the genus’T/S'mrra/.v, with
which it has but little similarity, if we except sonie ofLitsTïabits, and
particularly its gregarious disposition, r1 dafiné- 'considered thèse
birds as' Orioli, bn?* which he was followed by Gmelin and Latham,
notwithstanding the remarkable différente existing between klrchi.
and the Ortolus galUula of ^Europe',- the type of thatngenusiof,DO%Cr;
and some other naturalists, considering that bird a itotihStag, appropriated
the>n’ame1èf"On'o/Ms to our Ivttfu s, and separated from i t the
largest* specie's1, which hé câ&ëi£?i,Gàssici. Linné had-' dèfeMred all
generic names previously given to arts, diseases, &fc. to be inadmissible
in natural history; Illigèr, on that principle, altogether
rejected the name Icterus, as being pre-oecupied by a disease. This
may accouh^dbtfSjhe introduction of new names for gênera, Oné of
which at least ought to have retained its first appellatiorf. • 'Vieillot,
however, would have caused less bonfusion, if he had adopted the
name of Icterus, (which, wdth 'Saxlcola, and all other names of that
class, we do not think objectionable,) instead of Agelaius, Pendulinus,
or Yphantes, three of his four genera corresponding to our Icterus. But,
if the latter name was considCred:às utterly inadmissible, we see no
31
reason why he did no1; aVVepte; that of Xanthomus, applied to this
genus 'by Pallas. .
> ?JiAll* the speefo^ of Troopial-are peculiar to America. We divide
them into four sub - ged&S.a^t't|hel present bird belonging to the second,
to which wef apply name* Xanthornus*. The species of this subgenus
&V& peculiarly gj&Sial in thejfi dispositions, and their associations;
aaseffiohllahfdyjqii interruption. from then influence^ of love itself.
5$>t onl^ido many individuals of'th^sWn’e. family combine and labour
in coin V^k but they äl^df upjfd with very different species. Their
äs'bb'ci iS*/ animated, and their movements are quick1, bold, and vigor-
(V iW # lly rapidly, at a good height, and are much attached to the
places of their birth, e Their song is a kind of whistling; they walk
with the body'Heariy orecfelwith'a slightly ^hurried? step,, and are seen
sitting omthejgrouhdi or peroh.ed»\on'>theHb ^ a n c h e S ^ o f ■ They
seek-1 nOicbnGeah&i©nt,ji and'- neveryqbl^ifdhe woods, .though, they are
very careful t^^obifstrucf mlibv n^st^ien, > Situation. - The
Troopials? eat* no fruits, but''iderive'f their < subsisteiljeej from dhsCcts,
worms, grains, and small seeds: bTheyd^sve the tfenjper ate climates
»the approach of winter, and are amongst'the &?§t birds of jpifssuge
that return with the spring.